A baby girl born to first-time mom Lea Mae Razo has made it to the history books as the first Filipino child born in 2025.
The infant, to be christened Alea Jayde, was born at the stroke of midnight at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Santa Cruz, Manila.
Twenty-seven-year-old Lea Mae gave birth after some 13 grueling hours of labor, or since 11 a.m. on December 31.
“Going through labor was really hard. [I] felt all kinds of pain… but after seeing [my] baby… it was all worth it,” she said in Filipino.
Lea Mae said the name “Alea Jayde” is an amalgamation of her and her husband’s names.
“My only wish for my baby is for her to stay healthy, grow up fearing God, and have discipline,” the new mother added.
Shortly after the baby’s delivery, Dr. Jeglen Cruz, senior house officer at the hospital, said the baby and her mother would remain under observation should any complications arise.
“The New Year Baby brings hope, joy and perseverance to our families, our community and the nation,” the doctor said.
For her part, midwife May Alipio said she was overjoyed after having assisted in delivering the first baby born in the Philippines in 2025.
“It’s a different kind of happiness… the feeling is something else, especially because I don’t have a child myself. So, this is how it feels,” the 30-year-old midwife said.
Less than an hour after Alea Jayde was born, another baby girl was born to a 24-year-old mother at the same hospital.
Babies born from 2025 onward are considered part of Generation Beta, the first generation raised in an era dominated by Generative AI.
Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital, is a maternal and newborn tertiary hospital.
In 2015, the World Health Organization recognized the hospital “as a role model of the World Health Organization-Western Pacific Region Office for its essential newborn care programs, which have been proven to reduce infant morbidity and mortality”
The hospital has also gained the moniker “the baby factory,” and is where journalists await the delivery of the first baby officially delivered in the New Year.
